This green bread is a fluffy, savory bread perfect for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. It stays fresh for a few days at room temperature and can be frozen for longer storage.
A green bread with spinach is perfect for you if you are celebrating St. Patrick's Day. If not, you should still bake it; it is a delicious and simple homemade bread that your family will love. Especially the kids; mine were even bragging about their green sandwiches at school.
A savory, easy-to-make spinach bread suitable to serve with either cheese/cold cuts, or jams. Just because there is spinach inside doesn't mean it doesn't taste great with any sweet spread; even Nutella is fine.
Or some of our jams or jellies. For instance, Rhubarb Raspberry Jam, Apricot Jam without Pectin, or Lemon Jelly.
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Recipe ingredients
Fresh spinach: I used 170 g/ 6 oz/ ยพ cup chopped spinach. You will not need to remove the stems for this recipe (unless they are particularly large and woody); the spinach will be pureed anyway.
Flour: All-purpose flour and whole wheat flour. You could also bake the loaf with white spelt flour and whole wheat spelt flour. Or try this 3-minute spelt flour no-knead bread recipe.
Seeds: I used pepitas, which are hulled pumpkin seeds that grow inside certain types of pumpkin and which don't require shelling.
The seeds are optional but nice; I rarely bake a loaf without any seeds. Usually, flaxseeds, sunflower, or sesame seeds, but in this case, the green pepitas fit the recipe perfectly. Make Flaxseed Bread or Chive Bread, too.
Yeast: I had instant yeast, which only needs to be mixed with the flour before adding the milk and the rest of the ingredients.
Alternative yeast: Active dry and fresh yeast. They both need to be proofed. Place them in a small bowl and add about ยผ cup/ 50 ml of the measured and lukewarm milk and the sugar. Mix well and let stand for about 5-10 minutes until foamy on top. Mix with the flour and the rest of the ingredients.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to make spinach bread?
The most important tip is to use a digital kitchen scale (the Amazon affiliate link opens in a new tab) to measure the ingredients; it guarantees the best results.
Step #1: Blend spinach, salt, egg, milk, and sugar in the food processor until smooth. Alternatively, use an immersion blender.
Step #2: If you can knead in the food processor, add mixed flour, yeast, soft butter, and seeds. Alternatively, transfer spinach to a stand mixer and add the remaining ingredients.
Step #3: Knead until smooth and not so sticky anymore. It took me about 7 minutes in the food processor.
Step #4: Transfer to a bowl, cover, and let rise until doubled, 1โ2 hours (check after 1 hour with fresh yeast).
Step #5: Punch down the dough to remove air bubbles and refresh the yeast for a tender crumb.
Step #6: Transfer to a floured surface and knead briefly with a little flour to form a ball..
Step #7: Press the dough into a thick rectangle, slightly narrower than your loaf tin (12 inches/30 cm), so it fits properly after folding.
Step #8: Fold the bottom third up to the center, then fold the top third over it, like folding a letter. Pinch the seam to help the bread stay together better.
Tip: Fold the dough to stretch the gluten, which helps the bread rise higher and become airier.
Step #9: Place in the buttered loaf tin, with the seam facing down. Cover again and let the dough rise for 30-40 minutes in a warm place.
Step #10: Bake for 55-60 minutes, until golden on top and hollow-sounding when tapped. Remove from the pan and cool on a wire rack.
How to store and freeze?
Green spinach bread stays fresh for up to 3 days at room temperature. Store it in a box or cover it with a kitchen towel. You can wrap it in a clean kitchen towel or paper to keep the crust from drying, but we usually finish homemade loaves within 1โ2 days.
For longer storage, freeze the whole loaf (once fully cooled) or slices. If freezing slices, lay them flat on a baking tray first, then transfer to freezer bags after 2โ3 hours. This keeps them from sticking together, so you can remove only the slices you need.
To defrost, place the whole loaf in the fridge or leave slices on the counter for under an hour.
What to serve with it?
Absolutely anything you like, just like regular bread. Serve with soups or stews, make sandwiches, serve with cheese or cold meats, spreads of any kind, jams, or any other sweet spreads.
A few suggestions?
Do you like this recipe?
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Green Bread
Equipment
- Food processor or immersion blender
- Loaf pan 12 inches/ 30 cm
Ingredients
- 6 oz fresh spinach
- 1 tablespoon fine sea salt
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup milk
- ยผ cup butter soft, I had unsalted 60
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 3ยพ cups all-purpose flour Note 1
- ยพ cup + 1 Tbsp whole wheat flour
- 1 tablespoon instant yeast Note 2
- ยฝ cup pumpkin seeds Note 3
Instructions
- Wash the spinach, shake it well in the sieve and pat dry with kitchen towels; it should not have too much water clinging to it. Chop roughly if the leaves are large.6 oz fresh spinach
- Blend: Place it in the food processor with salt, egg, milk, soft butter, and sugar. Blend until smooth. Or use an immersion blender.1 tablespoon fine sea salt + 1 large egg + 1 cup milk + ยผ cup butter + 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- Combine: Mix both types of flour, yeast, and seeds. 3ยพ cups all-purpose flour + ยพ cup + 1 tablespoon whole wheat flour +1 tablespoon instant yeast + ยฝ cup pumpkin seeds
- Knead: If you can knead the bread in your food processor, add the mixture to the pureed spinach. Or knead everything in a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment. Knead the dough well until smooth and not so sticky anymore. It took me about 7 minutes in the food processor.
- Let rise: Lightly oil a large bowl, place dough inside, cover with a clean kitchen towel, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, between 1 ยฝ and 2 hours, depending on the temperature in the kitchen and the type of yeast you are using (Note 2).
- Second knead: Punch down the dough. Transfer to a lightly floured working surface and knead 2-3 times with a small amount of flour to form a ball.
- Shape: Press the dough into a thick rectangle, slightly narrower than your loaf tin (12 inches/30 cm), so it fits properly after folding. Fold the bottom third up to the center, then fold the top third over it, like folding a letter. Pinch the seam to help the bread stay together better.
- Second rise: Butter the loaf pan and place the dough in it with the seam facing down. Cover with the kitchen towel again and let rise for about 30 minutes in a warm place.
- Preheat the oven to 360ยฐF/ 180ยฐC.
- Bake the green bread for 55-60 minutes until golden on top and sounding hollow when tapped. Remove from the pan and let cool on a wire rack.
Notes
- Measuring your flour by weight will provide much more accurate results. Converting flour to cups can vary by room temperature, quality of flour, the person measuring it, etc. A digital kitchen scale is the best kitchen gadget you can own when it comes to baking. (the Amazon affiliate link opens in a new tab)
- Yeast: You can use the same amount of active dry yeast or 25 g/ 0.9 oz fresh yeast. Proof the yeast first: place in a small bowl, add about 50 ml/ 1.7 fl. oz/ ยผ cup of the measured and lukewarm milk and the sugar. Mix well and let stand for about 5-10 minutes until foamy on top. Mix with the flour and the rest of the ingredients.
Bread made with fresh yeast might rise quicker; start checking after 1 hour already. - Pepitas are pumpkin seeds without a hull; they come from specific pumpkins and don't require shelling. You can use other seeds instead; try flaxseed, sesame, or sunflower seeds.
Wendy says
I have high cholesterol. Is it possible to replace butter with olive oil, and use whole wheat flour instead of regular flour?
Adina says
Sorry, Wendy, I didn't test that. I think such major changes will change the recipe completely.
Paula says
Made this yesterday and it was a hit with my 4 yo!
I made it with arugula instead of spinach because it's what I had when I decided to make this.
I was scared with the amount of leaves, so I put about half of what's suggested ๐. But still looked kinda green and tastes delicious!
Adina says
So glad to hear it, Paula. Thank you for the feedback. Arugula sounds interesting.
Mithila says
Hi Adina,
Delicious recipe. Can I add hemp seeds in it? At what stage would you suggest adding them?
Adina says
Hi. I never did, but I suppose you can. Add them to the flour-yeast-pepitas mixture.
Parvathy says
My whole family loved it, thankyou
Adina says
So happy to hear it, Parvathy. Thank you for the feedback.
Yvette says
Why canโt we just order your green bread with spinach?.
Yvette
Adina says
Hi Yvette. I live in Germany...